ZooChat Challenge UK 2016

Had a quick visit to Chester but managed to visit another couple of places as well before so have added a few more to my list for the year!

1) Tentacled Snake (Erpeton tentaculatum)
2) False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii)
3) Giant Asian Pond Turtle (Heosemys grandis)
4) Painted Turtle (Batagur borneonsis)
5) Burmese Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys)
6) Annam Leaf Turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
7) Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi)
8) Red-tailed Racer (Gonysoma oxycephala)
9) Bell's Angle-headed Lizard (Gonocephalus bellii)
10) Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus)
11) Mangrove Snake (Boiga dendrophila melanota)
12) White-lipped Viper (Cryptelytrops albolabris)
13) Asian Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus)
14) Crocodile Monitor (Varanus salvadorii)
15) Gaboon Viper (Bitis rhinoceros)
16) Parson`s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)
17) Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)
18) Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
19) Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
20) Casque-headed Lizard (Laemanctus serratus)
21) Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
22) Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella)
23) Indochinese Box Turtle (Cistoclemmys galbinifrons)
24) Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis)
25) Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
26) Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
27) Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
28) Yellow Rat Snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
29) Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)
30) Horsfields Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii)
31) Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
32) Royal Python (Python regius)
33) Berber Skink (Eumeces schneideri)
34) Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
35) Burmese Python (Python bivittatus)
36) Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
37) Common Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
38) Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus)
39) Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
40) Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)
41) Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
42) Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
43) Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)
44) African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)
45) Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
46)West African Mud Turtle (Pelusios castaneus)
47) Madagascan Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma grandis)
48) Rhinoceros Ratsnake (Rhynchophis boulengeri)
49) Cuviers Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
50) Geoffroys Side-necked Turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus)
51) Horned Desert Viper (Cerastes cerastes)
52) Broad-banded Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus)
53) Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum exasperatum)
54) Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
55) Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
56) Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus)
57) Indonesian Spiny Turtle (Heosemys spinosa)
58) Mountain Horned Dragon (Acanthosaura capra)

I have now also added Yellow Anaconda and African Spurred Tortoise as a collection that I have seen in 2 collections to join the following on 2,Corn Snake,Boa Constrictor,Inland Bearded Dragon and Horsfields Tortoise!

 

Visit to Shepreth today added a few:

69 Common Snapping Turtle
70 Chinese soft shelled turtle
71 Argentine black & white Tegu
72 Boa Constrictor
73 Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman

 

Right just a quick note I have a bit of a question mark over my ID of the Amazon Tree Boa,as the collections Annual Report does not agree with my source for the ID,which is a keeper that looks after the said species,if the Annual Report is correct it still stands on my list but as a Cooke's Tree Boa,which is only held by one other collection in the UK!I will let people know when I have it confirmed as to which is correct!

 

Sorry, this is probably a silly question but I visited a smaller (i imagine less visited) zoo at the weekend. I looked on zootierliste before going and there were five reptiles to see. However, they only held two of these but there was a whole host of other reptiles I saw that weren't listed. Do these unlisted animals count for the challenge?

 

Yes they do count (I guess; it would be stupid if they didn't ).

 

Chester Zoo 31/01/2016

25) Painted Batagur (Batagur borneoensis) at Chester Zoo
26) Roti Island Snake Necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi) at Chester Zoo
27) Annam Leaf Turtle (Mauremys annamensis) at Chester Zoo

 

Had another little run out over the weekend so have managed to add a few more to my total,so here is my total as it stands at present

1) Tentacled Snake (Erpeton tentaculatum)
2) False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii)
3) Giant Asian Pond Turtle (Heosemys grandis)
4) Painted Turtle (Batagur borneonsis)
5) Burmese Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys)
6) Annam Leaf Turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
7) Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi)
8) Red-tailed Racer (Gonysoma oxycephala)
9) Bell's Angle-headed Lizard (Gonocephalus bellii)
10) Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus)
11) Mangrove Snake (Boiga dendrophila melanota)
12) White-lipped Viper (Cryptelytrops albolabris)
13) Asian Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus)
14) Crocodile Monitor (Varanus salvadorii)
15) Gaboon Viper (Bitis rhinoceros)
16) Parson`s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)
17) Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)
18) Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
19) Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
20) Casque-headed Lizard (Laemanctus serratus)
21) Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
22) Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella)
23) Indochinese Box Turtle (Cistoclemmys galbinifrons)
24) Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis)
25) Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
26) Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
27) Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
28) Yellow Rat Snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
29) Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)
30) Horsfields Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii)
31) Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
32) Royal Python (Python regius)
33) Berber Skink (Eumeces schneideri)
34) Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
35) Burmese Python (Python bivittatus)
36) Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
37) Common Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
38) Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus)
39) Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
40) Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)
41) Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
42) Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
43) Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)
44) African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)
45) Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
46)West African Mud Turtle (Pelusios castaneus)
47) Madagascan Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma grandis)
48) Rhinoceros Ratsnake (Rhynchophis boulengeri)
49) Cuviers Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
50) Geoffroys Side-necked Turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus)
51) Horned Desert Viper (Cerastes cerastes)
52) Broad-banded Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus)
53) Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum exasperatum)
54) Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
55) Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
56) Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus)
57) Indonesian Spiny Turtle (Heosemys spinosa)
58) Mountain Horned Dragon (Acanthosaura capra)
59) Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
59a) Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
60) Vietnamese Golden Gecko (Gekko badenii)
61) Boulenger's Pricklenape (Acanthosaura crucigera)
62) Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko)
63) Red-footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius)
64) Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
65) Cuvier's Madagascar Swift (Oplurus cuvieri)
66) Argentine Black and White Tegu (Tupinambis merianae)

Yet again I will add sub-species as a sub letter as I picked up my first sub-species this weekend,and as they don't count to the overall total,at the end of the challenge!!So my first 2 sub-species where for the record Yellow-bellied and Red-eared Sliders!!!

As a result of this weekends visiting I have now seen Boa Constrictors in 4 collections,the leading Lizard species is still Inland Bearded Dragon with 2 collections the lead Tortoise species is now African Spurred Tortoise in 3 collections!!

 

Absolutely, it's all about what you see.

To be honest, I've found Zootierliste can be quite off the mark for some of the smaller and/or less visited collections.

 

Had a local run out and picked up a few more for the challenge,from a couple of places.

1) Tentacled Snake (Erpeton tentaculatum)
2) False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii)
3) Giant Asian Pond Turtle (Heosemys grandis)
4) Painted Turtle (Batagur borneonsis)
5) Burmese Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys)
6) Annam Leaf Turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
7) Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi)
8) Red-tailed Racer (Gonysoma oxycephala)
9) Bell's Angle-headed Lizard (Gonocephalus bellii)
10) Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus)
11) Mangrove Snake (Boiga dendrophila melanota)
12) White-lipped Viper (Cryptelytrops albolabris)
13) Asian Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus)
14) Crocodile Monitor (Varanus salvadorii)
15) Gaboon Viper (Bitis rhinoceros)
16) Parson`s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)
17) Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)
18) Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
19) Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
20) Casque-headed Lizard (Laemanctus serratus)
21) Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
22) Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella)
23) Indochinese Box Turtle (Cistoclemmys galbinifrons)
24) Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis)
25) Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
26) Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
27) Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
28) Yellow Rat Snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
29) Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)
30) Horsfields Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii)
31) Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
32) Royal Python (Python regius)
33) Berber Skink (Eumeces schneideri)
34) Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
35) Burmese Python (Python bivittatus)
36) Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
37) Common Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
38) Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus)
39) Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
40) Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)
41) Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
42) Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
43) Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)
44) African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)
45) Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
46)West African Mud Turtle (Pelusios castaneus)
47) Madagascan Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma grandis)
48) Rhinoceros Ratsnake (Rhynchophis boulengeri)
49) Cuviers Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
50) Geoffroys Side-necked Turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus)
51) Horned Desert Viper (Cerastes cerastes)
52) Broad-banded Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus)
53) Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum exasperatum)
54) Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
55) Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
56) Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus)
57) Indonesian Spiny Turtle (Heosemys spinosa)
58) Mountain Horned Dragon (Acanthosaura capra)
59) Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
59a) Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
60) Vietnamese Golden Gecko (Gekko badenii)
61) Boulenger's Pricklenape (Acanthosaura crucigera)
62) Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko)
63) Red-footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius)
64) Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
65) Cuvier's Madagascar Swift (Oplurus cuvieri)
66) Argentine Black and White Tegu (Tupinambis merianae)
67) Common Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)
68) False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)
69) Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
70) Allison's Anole (Anolis allisoni)
71) Eastern Casquehead Iguana (Laemanctus longipes)
72) Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)
73) Fiji Banded Iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus)
74) Green Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus)

Nothing has altered in regards as to what has been seen in multiple collections,so the leaders for me are still as my previous total!

 

I had a couple of 'no shows' in terms of turtles, but I still saw a nice amount. All from Bristol Zoo (6/2/2016):

26. Aruba Island Rattlesnake Crotalus unicolor
27. Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum
28. Fly River Turtle Carettochelys insculpta
29. Mangrove Snake Boiga dendrophila
30. Madagascan Tree Boa Sanzinia madagascariensis
31. Blue Spiny Lizard Sceloporus cyanogenys
32. Common Chuckwalla Sauromalus ater
33. Malayan Box Turtle Cuora amboinensis
34. Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle Chelodina mccordi
35. Yellow-headed Day Gecko Phelsuma klemmeri
36. Henkel's Leaf-tailed Gecko Uroplatus henkeli
37. Standing's Day Gecko Phelsuma standingi
38. Turquoise Day Gecko Lygodactylus williamsi
39. Black Marsh Turtle Siebenrockiella crassicollis
40. Amethystine Python Simalia amethistina
41. Leptien's Spiny-tailed Lizard Uromastyx leptieni
42. West African Dwarf Crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis
43. Common Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon
44. Great Plated Lizard Gerrhosaurus validus
45. Prehensile-tailed Skink Corucia zebrata
46. Aldabra Giant Tortoise Aldabrachelys gigantea
47. Rhinoceros Iguana Cyclura cornuta

I've seen five repeated species this year, they have been Egyptian Tortoise (2 collections), Pancake Tortoise (2 collections), Utilia Iguana (2 collections), Cuban Boa (2 collections) and Green Tree Monitor (2 collections).

 

Maybe a strange question but because the UK-rules are also used for the Dutch-Belgium challenge I want to know if eggs which are shown in an incubator count - one of the rules is if I understand it right that also part of a living animal count and in matter of fact an egg IS somekind of a part of an animal ???

 

Having thought about it, no because:

1. There's no absolute certainty the animal is living (could be dead in egg);
2. There's no absolute certainty of the species of animal contained;
3. Spotting eggs isn't far away from models or taxidermy specimens;
4. Generally they won't be on-show in an incubator long so it's got the feel of a collection that's barely open (which are disallowed);
5. It feels wrong/too easy;
6. My decision is final .

Good question though, it's pushing me into a philosophical realm.

 

Oke, I can understand your point of view, however a pitty because I saw several eggs of a species still not on my 2016-list ( ).

 

Another visit to Whipsnade today, 11/2/16 added 3 more

74. Alligator Snapping Turtle
75. Zhous Box Turtle
76. Red-Necked Pond Turtle

 

Yet another run out today so picked up a few more to add my total

1) Tentacled Snake (Erpeton tentaculatum)
2) False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii)
3) Giant Asian Pond Turtle (Heosemys grandis)
4) Painted Turtle (Batagur borneonsis)
5) Burmese Brown Tortoise (Manouria emys)
6) Annam Leaf Turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
7) Roti Island Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi)
8) Red-tailed Racer (Gonysoma oxycephala)
9) Bell's Angle-headed Lizard (Gonocephalus bellii)
10) Reticulated Python (Malayopython reticulatus)
11) Mangrove Snake (Boiga dendrophila melanota)
12) White-lipped Viper (Cryptelytrops albolabris)
13) Asian Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus)
14) Crocodile Monitor (Varanus salvadorii)
15) Gaboon Viper (Bitis rhinoceros)
16) Parson`s Chameleon (Calumma parsonii)
17) Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)
18) Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
19) Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus)
20) Casque-headed Lizard (Laemanctus serratus)
21) Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
22) Green Crested Lizard (Bronchocela cristatella)
23) Indochinese Box Turtle (Cistoclemmys galbinifrons)
24) Yellow Spotted Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis)
25) Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis)
26) Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
27) Green Iguana (Iguana iguana)
28) Yellow Rat Snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)
29) Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus)
30) Horsfields Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii)
31) Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)
32) Royal Python (Python regius)
33) Berber Skink (Eumeces schneideri)
34) Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus)
35) Burmese Python (Python bivittatus)
36) Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
37) Common Boa Constrictor (Boa constrictor)
38) Crested Gecko (Correlophus ciliatus)
39) Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius)
40) Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus)
41) Hermann’s Tortoise (Testudo hermanni)
42) Pancake Tortoise (Malacochersus tornieri)
43) Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea)
44) African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata)
45) Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)
46)West African Mud Turtle (Pelusios castaneus)
47) Madagascan Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma grandis)
48) Rhinoceros Ratsnake (Rhynchophis boulengeri)
49) Cuviers Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
50) Geoffroys Side-necked Turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus)
51) Horned Desert Viper (Cerastes cerastes)
52) Broad-banded Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix laticinctus)
53) Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard (Heloderma horridum exasperatum)
54) Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii)
55) Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)
56) Amazon Tree Boa (Corallus hortulanus)
57) Indonesian Spiny Turtle (Heosemys spinosa)
58) Mountain Horned Dragon (Acanthosaura capra)
59) Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta)
59a) Red-eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
60) Vietnamese Golden Gecko (Gekko badenii)
61) Boulenger's Pricklenape (Acanthosaura crucigera)
62) Tokay Gecko (Gekko gecko)
63) Red-footed Tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonarius)
64) Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides)
65) Cuvier's Madagascar Swift (Oplurus cuvieri)
66) Argentine Black and White Tegu (Tupinambis merianae)
67) Common Snake-necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)
68) False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)
69) Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
70) Allison's Anole (Anolis allisoni)
71) Eastern Casquehead Iguana (Laemanctus longipes)
72) Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)
73) Fiji Banded Iguana (Brachylophus fasciatus)
74) Green Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus)
75) European Legless Lizard (Pseudopus apodus)
76) Egyptian Dab Lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia)
77) Great Plated Lizard (Broadleysaurus major)
78) Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)
79) American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
80) Utila Spinytail Iguana (Ctenosaura bakeri)
81) Jungle Carpet Python (Morelia spilota cheynei)
82) Jamaican Boa (Epicrates subflavus)
83) Pacific Ground Boa (Candoia paulsoni)
84)Amethystine Python (Morelia amethistina)
85) prehensile-tailed Skink (Corucia zebrata)
86) Thai Cobra (Naja kaouthia)
87)West African Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus chamses)
88) Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)

As for species that I have seen in more than 1 collection I have now seen Boa Constrictor in 5 collections,and now Inland Bearded Dragons have been joined by Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard on 2 collections as the lead Lizard species that I have seen,Tortoise and Turtles is still African Spurred Tortoise on 3.

 

All from Wild Animal Adventures (16/2/2016):

48. Common Snapping Turtle Chelydra serpentina
49. Spectacled Caiman Caiman crocodilus
50. Roughneck Monitor Varanus rudicollis
51. Weber's Sailfin Lizard Hydrosaurus weberi
52. Long-tailed Grass Lizard Takydromus sexlineatus
53. Mountain Horned Lizard Acanthosaura capra
54. Emerald Tree Boa Corallus caninus
55. Carpet Python Morelia spilota
56. Bosc Monitor Varanus exanthematicus

There is also an anole which I'm unsure about.

I've also seen quite a few species more than once now.

 

Right I now have it 100% confirmed that it is a Amazon Tree Boa,as the snakes have been tested by the collection that holds them!!Please note the annual report and zims for this collection is wrong in listing the species as Cooke`s!!!!!!

 

28) Emerald Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus) at Chester Zoo

 

The pet trade has alot to answer for with that name,until they became reasonable easy to get hold of in private hands,zoo's always called them Green Tree Monitor,now even a respectable collection like Chester calls them a name that started in the pet trade to make them sound more exciting!